دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی تعیین کننده کیفیت خدمات در دانشگاه های دولتی زیمبابوه - امرالد 2018

ABSTRACT

Purpose This research sought to empirically identify context specific dimensions of service quality at Zimbabwean State Universities. The study also sought to measure the ‘university-wide’ overall service quality at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and to explore differences in service quality perception based on selected students’ demographic characteristics. Design/methodology A case study strategy was used. Focus group discussions were used to qualitatively identify service quality variables; which were then subjected to quantitative evaluation through the administration of questionnaires on a sample of 294 students. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to reduce the service quality variables into service quality dimensions. Findings Five dimensions of service quality were identified, namely: General Attitude, Facilitating Elements, Access, Lecture Rooms and Health Services. Results also showed that most students (48.3%) perceived overall service quality at NUST to be average while 28.6% and 23.1% had a negative and positive perception of overall service quality respectively. Perceived overall service quality at NUST was found to differ significantly based on ‘students’ year of study’ and ‘faculty group’. Differences based on gender were found to be insignificant. Originality/value Identification of the five dimensions was a progressive step in developing a relevant service quality measurement instrument for a Zimbabwean State University context; and in so doing, contributing to literature on relevant service quality dimensions and measurement instruments in Zimbabwe and Africa in general. This was the first such study in Zimbabwe to address the context specific literature-gap on relevant service quality dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Service quality dimensions in a Zimbabwean State University context

This study identified five dimensions of service quality relevant to students in a Zimbabwean State University context. These dimensions were: General Attitude, Facilitating Elements, Access, Lecture Rooms and Health Services. The researcher observed that, out of the five dimensions extracted in the study, none of them contained academically oriented factors such as curriculum, research expertise, teaching capacity and qualifications of faculty staff. This was contrary to Western countries where these issues were a recurrent theme in literature (Sumaedi et at., 2012). The researcher also noted that unlike Zimbabwe, Kenya, a fellow African country; was similar to the West in concerning itself with ‘academic issues’ such as lecturer conduct and experience, curriculum content and examinations (Owino et al., 2014). Another glaring observation noted by the researcher was the emergence of ‘lecture rooms’ as a stand-alone dimension. Lecture rooms have generally fallen under the “Tangibles’ dimension in most research (Abdulla, 2006a; and Parasuraman et al, 1985). This prominence could have been a sign of poor infrastructure at State Universities, especially lecture rooms.